Chapter 824

"At noon today, I was worrying about Father's condition," Tong Bo mused. "Suddenly, a voice rang out in my mind, and then I joined an organization full of Immortals."

"Full of Immortals?" Tong Zhan blinked. "Big brother, didn't some Tong clan member cast a spell on you again? You got tricked, didn't you?"

Tong Bo shook his head. "No trick. Not a Tong clan member. There, I saw events that will unfold over the next decades—and I learned how to save Father."

"There's a cure for Father's injury?" Tong Zhan's eyes lit up. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go now!"

"It's not that simple," Tong Bo shook his head. "Listen first. This is a long story—it begins in ancient times. Do you know why the Tong clan possesses magic?"

"Of course, because Heaven and Earth favor us 'nine-seven-three,'" Tong Zhan replied without hesitation.

Tong Bo nodded. "Correct. Because Heaven and Earth favor us. But why do they favor us?"

Tong Zhan frowned. "Is there a reason?"

Tong Bo nodded, sighed deeply, and said: "Heaven and Earth have no mercy—they treat all things as straw dogs. To Heaven and Earth, all beings are equal. Why then does the Tong clan receive favor?"

Tong Zhan was puzzled. "Could this be connected to Father's backlash?"

"Precisely," Tong Bo nodded. "The Tong clan was favored by Heaven and Earth because we bore a celestial mandate—to guide the development of humanity. But what happened?"

Tong Zhan's face darkened. "Our clan, because of the Great Demon Yin Zhong, retreated into seclusion for centuries—abandoning that mandate."

"Exactly," Tong Bo nodded. "We abandoned our duty to guide humanity, yet still sought to wield Heaven's authority, to peer into the Heavenly Schemes. We did nothing—but still wanted the rewards. If you were Heaven and Earth, would you accept that?"

"That's right," Tong Bo nodded. "The Tong clan abandoned guiding humanity, yet still sought to use the authority of heaven and earth to peer into the secrets of heaven. Doing nothing yet wanting rewards—if you were heaven and earth, could you?"

That was Heaven and Earth!

To take Heaven's blessings and do nothing in return—the Tong clan had already committed sacrilege against the Heavens.

"No wonder, in recent years, fewer Tong clan members have shown magical talent, and peering into the Heavenly Schemes brings stronger backlash. We've lost Heaven's favor."

"Big brother, what should we do now? You joined that organization full of Immortals—surely you have a solution?"

Tong Bo nodded, sighed. "There is a solution. But the Elders may not agree."

"What's the solution, Big Brother? Just tell me!" Tong Zhan urged. "You can't keep talking in riddles like this—you'll drive me mad!"

"The solution is to offer sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, to declare that the Tong clan will abandon seclusion and emerge to guide humanity. Father's backlash will vanish without medicine."

Tong Zhan froze. "No wonder you hesitated. With Father's stubbornness, he'll never agree."

"Indeed," Tong Bo nodded. "The Tong clan has lived in seclusion for generations. Father won't risk exposing every Tong clan member to the Great Demon Yin Zhong just to cure himself."

Tong Zhan rubbed his temples. "Then what do we do?"

"And even if we were willing to guide humanity, would humanity today even allow us to do so?"

The Tong clan bore the blood of Chi You, and were the lineage entrusted with rites to Heaven and Earth within the Chi You tribe.

Those who performed rites held exalted status.

Even after the Chi You tribe's defeat in the Battle of Zhuolu, even after the tribe was shattered, the Tong clan successfully integrated into the Central Plains and became one of the ritualists.

Whether in the Chi You tribe or the Huang Di tribe, the Tong clan, as ritualists, had the right to guide humanity.

Even after the Chiyou tribe was defeated in the Zhuolu Battle and scattered, the Tong clan successfully integrated into the Central Plains and became one of the sacrificial clans.

The Tong clan has been in seclusion for centuries—no longer the lineage entrusted with rites.

Today, the empire is strong; the right to perform rites is held solely by the Son of Heaven, and no one else may touch it.

After all, the great affairs of a state are sacrifice and war.

Rites and the military—these are things the Son of Heaven will never relinquish.

Rites determine the divine legitimacy of rulership, the legitimacy of the monarch's mandate—absolutely forbidden to outsiders.

Even if the Tong clan emerged from the Moonlit Grotto, they could never reclaim such authority again.

"Indeed, that's why it's so difficult," Tong Bo nodded. "Second brother, what do you suggest?"

Tong Zhan groaned as his brother kicked the problem back to him.

He was never good at strategy—he preferred Wu Dou.

Asking him to devise a plan was like forcing him to climb a mountain of blades.

"Big brother, brooding here won't help. Let's consult the Elders?" Tong Zhan suggested.

Tong Bo paused for several breaths, then nodded. "There's no other choice now. Time is short. If this plan fails, I'll have to seek help from the Immortals myself."

With that, the two stepped outside and found Yin Xiu and the others, laying out the entire matter.

Tong Bo fell silent for several breaths, then nodded: "There's no other choice now. Time is running short. If this plan fails, I'll have to seek help from the immortals myself."

"Tong Bo, who are these Immortals in your organization?"

"Yin Xiu, we're discussing Father's condition now—save the Immortals for later."

Yin Xiu protested: "I say, just ask the Immortals for help! Why bother discussing?"

Tong Zhan glared at Yin Xiu. "Yin Xiu, the Immortals aren't our family. If we can avoid troubling others, we should."

Tong Bo agreed: "Yes, Yin Xiu—think. How should we solve this?"

Tong Zhan rolled his eyes at Yinxiu and said, "Yinxiu, immortals aren't our family members; if we can avoid troubling others, it's better not to."

Tong Bo chimed in: "Yeah, Yinxiu, think about it—how should we solve this matter?"